Notable Alumni of Auburn University

Lloyd J. Austin III 1953–

28th US Secretary of Defense

Also attended: Webster University, The United States Military Academy at West Point

Tarana Burke 1973–

Activist who started the MeToo movement

Also attended: Alabama State University

Kay Ivey 1944–

54th governor of Alabama since 2017

Bachelor of Arts

Bill Lee 1959–

50th Governor of Tennessee

Nader al-Dahabi 1946–

37th Prime Minister of Jordan

Holland Smith 1882–1967

US Marine Corps general in World War II

Also attended: The University of Alabama

Richard Marcinko 1940–2021

First commander of SEAL Team Six

Also attended: Naval Postgraduate School

Spencer Bachus 1947–

Former US Representative from Alabama

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1969

Also attended: The University of Alabama

Barry Moore 1966–

Republican US politician from Alabama

Michael S. Rogers 1959–

Retired Navy admiral and former NSA director

Amir Eshel 1959–

Former commander of the Israeli Air Force

Forrest Hood James, Jr. 1934–

48th Governor of Alabama and entrepreneur

Also attended: University of Georgia

Bobby Bright 1952–

Former U.S. representative and Montgomery mayor

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1975

Also attended: Enterprise State Community College, Faulkner University, Troy University

Rick W. Allen 1951–

US representative for Georgia's 12th district

Bachelor of Science · Class of 1973

Jeannie Leavitt 1967–

Retired U.S. Air Force general

Also attended: The University of Texas at Austin, Stanford University

Dennis A. Ross 1959–

Former Republican U.S. Representative from Florida

Bachelor of Science

Also attended: Samford University, University of Florida

William J. Samford 1844–1901

31st Governor of Alabama

Also attended: University of Georgia

J. Thomas Heflin 1869–1951

U.S. representative and senator from Alabama

Michael E. Ryan 1941–

16th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force

Master of Business Administration

Also attended: United States Air Force Academy

William Hall Milton 1864–1942

U.S. Senator from Florida

Gordon Persons 1902–1965

43rd Governor of Alabama

Wilton Persons 1896–1977

Army general and Eisenhower's White House chief of staff

Also attended: Harvard University

Will Ainsworth 1981–

Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

Carl Epting Mundy, Jr. 1935–2014

30th Commandant of the Marine Corps

Jere Beasley 1935–

Former Lieutenant Governor of Alabama and lawyer

Also attended: The University of Alabama

George McMillan 1943–2025

23rd Lieutenant Governor of Alabama

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

John McDuffie 1883–1950

Alabama congressman and US district judge

Also attended: The University of Alabama, Birmingham-Southern College

Francis G. Neubeck 1932–

Retired USAF colonel and former astronaut

Also attended: United States Naval Academy

James E. Livingston 1940–

Marine major general and Medal of Honor recipient

Johnny Micheal Spann 1969–2001

CIA officer, first American killed in Afghanistan in 2001

Robert W. RisCassi 1936–

Retired general and former Army vice chief of staff

Also attended: University of Connecticut

Lilius Bratton Rainey 1876–1959

U.S. Representative from Alabama

Also attended: The University of Alabama

George B. Crist 1931–2024

Marine general and former CENTCOM commander

Master's degree · Political science

Also attended: Villanova University

Johnnie Byrd 1951–

Member of the Florida House of Representatives

Also attended: The University of Alabama

Jimmy Wales 1966–

Co-founder of Wikipedia

Attended until 1986

Also attended: The University of Alabama, Indiana University-Bloomington

Tim Cook 1960–

Apple executive chairman and former CEO

Bachelor of Science · Industrial engineering · Class of 1982

Also attended: Duke University

Basima Abdulrahman 1986–

Iraqi structural engineer, founder of KESK

Seetha Coleman-Kammula 1950–

Indian chemist, environmentalist and entrepreneur

Mark Spencer 1977–

Creator of Asterisk and Gaim, founder of Digium

Jonathan Bell Lovelace 1895–1979

Founder of Capital Group Companies

Ken Mattingly 1936–2023

Astronaut who orbited the Moon on Apollo 16

Henry Hartsfield 1933–2014

NASA astronaut and US Air Force colonel

Also attended: Duke University

Jan Davis 1953–

NASA astronaut with three spaceflights

Also attended: University of Alabama--Huntsville, Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Kathryn C. Thornton 1952–

Former NASA astronaut and engineering professor

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

Clifton Williams 1932–1967

NASA astronaut killed in 1967 plane crash

Also attended: Spring Hill College

James S. Voss 1949–

Retired Army colonel and NASA astronaut

George W. Snedecor 1881–1974

Mathematician and statistician

Attended until 1903

Also attended: The University of Alabama, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Benjamin Minge Duggar 1872–1956

Plant physiologist who discovered chlortetracycline

Also attended: Harvard University, Cornell University

Mark Thornton 1960–

Economist of the Austrian School

Fitzhugh L. Fulton 1925–2015

Air Force officer and NASA research pilot

Also attended: Golden Gate University, University of Florida

Randy Thornhill 1944–

Entomologist and evolutionary biologist

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Donald J. Boudreaux 1958–

Libertarian economist at George Mason University

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

Altus Lacy Quaintance 1870–1958

Entomologist specializing in fruit tree pests

Master of Science, Doctor of Science

Miller Reese Hutchison 1876–1944

Electrical engineer and inventor of early hearing aid

Also attended: Marion Military Institute, Spring Hill College

Jeffrey Yi-Lin Forrest 1959–

Mathematician, founder of International Institute for General Systems Studies

Hui-Hai Liu 1964–

Hydrogeologist and reservoir engineer

Lionel Richie 1949–

Singer, songwriter and record producer

Also attended: Tuskegee University

Child: Nicole Richie (University of Arizona)

Josh Hutcherson 1992–

Film and television actor

Octavia Spencer 1970–

Actress and Academy Award winner

Jimmy Buffett 1946–2023

Singer-songwriter, author and businessman

Also attended: Pearl River Community College, University of Southern Mississippi

Taylor Hicks 1976–

Singer, winner of American Idol season five

James Redfield 1950–

Author of The Celestine Prophecy

Kate Higgins 1969–

Voice actress and singer

Victoria Jackson 1959–

Actress and former Saturday Night Live cast member

Also attended: Palm Beach Atlantic University, Furman University

Josh Hopkins 1970–

American actor

Father: Larry J. Hopkins (Murray State University)

Mackenzie Lintz 1996–

Actress known for Under the Dome

Ashley Crow 1960–

Actress known for Heroes

Also attended: The University of Alabama, New York University

Bobby Goldsboro 1941–

Pop and country singer-songwriter

Eugene Sledge 1923–2001

WWII Marine veteran, memoirist and biology professor

Also attended: Marion Military Institute, University of Florida

George Clayton Johnson 1929–2015

Science fiction writer, co-author of Logan's Run

Michael O'Neill 1951–

Character actor in The West Wing

Paul Rudolph 1918–1997

Architect, former chair of Yale's architecture department

Also attended: Harvard University

Toni Tennille 1940–

Singer, half of Captain & Tennille

Wynn Everett 1978–

Actress known for Marvel's Agent Carter

Mallory Hagan 1988–

Miss America 2013 and former news anchor

Also attended: Fashion Institute of Technology

Ace Atkins 1970–

Author and journalist known for Southern novels

Justice Leak 1979–

Film, television and stage actor

George Hardy 1954–

Dentist and actor, lead of Troll 2

Also attended: The University of Alabama

Ricky Dillon

American YouTuber and singer

Katherine Webb 1989–

Model, Miss Alabama USA 2012

Spouse: A. J. McCarron (The University of Alabama)

Samuel Mockbee 1944–2001

Architect, co-founder of Auburn's Rural Studio

Big Bill Morganfield 1956–

Blues singer, son of Muddy Waters

Also attended: Tuskegee University

Bob McLeod 1951–

Comics artist, co-creator of the New Mutants

Drake White 1983–

Country music singer

Also attended: Gadsden State Community College

Tim Dorsey 1961–2023

Novelist known for the Serge A. Storms series

Anne Rivers Siddons 1936–2019

Novelist writing stories set in the American South

Charles Barkley 1963–

Former NBA player and television analyst

Kirsty Coventry 1983–

IOC president and former Zimbabwean swimmer

Sunisa Lee 2003–

Gymnast and Olympic all-around gold medalist

César Cielo 1987–

Brazilian swimmer and three-time Olympic medalist

Donald Thomas 1984–

Bahamian high jumper

Kerron Stewart 1984–

Jamaican sprinter

Avard Moncur 1978–

Bahamian sprinter

Marc Burns 1983–

Trinidad and Tobago sprinter

Rowdy Gaines 1959–

Swimmer, three-time Olympic gold medalist and commentator

Leevan Sands 1981–

Bahamian triple jumper

Frédérick Bousquet 1981–

French swimmer, 2008 Olympic silver medalist

Cam Newton 1989–

Former NFL quarterback, mainly with Carolina Panthers

Also attended: University of Florida, Blinn College District

Sibling: Cecil Newton (Tennessee State University)

Harvey Glance 1957–2023

Sprinter and 1976 Olympic relay gold medalist

Samuel Matete 1968–

Zambian 400 metres hurdler

George Bovell 1983–

Trinidadian swimmer and Olympic bronze medalist

Andreas Mies 1990–

German former professional doubles tennis player

Stephen Huss 1975–

Australian former professional tennis player

Isaac Okoro 2001–

NBA player for the Chicago Bulls

Toney Douglas 1986–

Professional basketball player

Ruthie Bolton 1967–

Former professional women's basketball player and Olympian

Margaret Hoelzer 1983–

Swimmer and Olympic silver medalist

Zach Apple 1997–

Sprint freestyle swimmer

Also attended: Indiana University-Bloomington

Eric Shanteau 1983–

Swimmer and 2012 Olympic relay gold medalist

Marcelo Chierighini 1991–

Brazilian swimmer, Olympic 100m freestyle finalist

Chuma Okeke 1998–

Basketball player for Real Madrid

Walker Kessler 2001–

Los Angeles Lakers NBA player

Also attended: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Davion Mitchell 1998–

NBA player for the Miami Heat

Also attended: Baylor University

Maurice Smith 1980–

Jamaican decathlete

Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace 1990–

Bahamian Olympic swimmer

Anthonique Strachan 1993–

Bahamian sprinter, 2012 World Junior Champion

Josh Donaldson 1985–

Former MLB third baseman

Sheniqua Ferguson 1989–

Bahamian sprinter

Marquis Daniels 1981–

Former NBA player, played at Auburn

Annie Lazor 1994–

Swimmer, 2020 Olympic 200m breaststroke bronze medalist

Mark Gangloff 1982–

Swimmer, two-time Olympic relay gold medalist

Renzo Tjon-A-Joe 1995–

Surinamese-Dutch Olympic swimmer

Nathon Allen 1995–

Jamaican sprinter

Sanjay Ayre 1980–

Jamaican sprinter, 2000 Olympic silver medalist

Bo Jackson 1962–

All-Star in both baseball and football

Juliet Campbell 1970–

Jamaican sprinter

Chuck Person 1964–

Former NBA player, 1987 Rookie of the Year

Sibling: Wesley Person (Auburn University)

Ja'Kobe Tharp 2005–

American high hurdles athlete

Matt Targett 1985–

Australian swimmer and Olympic silver medalist

DeWanna Bonner 1987–

WNBA player who played college ball at Auburn

Hugo González 1999–

Spanish swimmer

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Rameez Junaid 1981–

Australian former professional tennis player

Sharife Cooper 2001–

Basketball player for Liaoning Flying Leopards

Sibling: Te'a Cooper (University of South Carolina-Columbia, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville)

James Dillion 1929–2010

Discus thrower, 1952 Olympic bronze medalist

Scott Tucker 1976–

Swimmer and two-time Olympic relay gold medalist

Tyler McGill 1987–

Swimmer, 2012 Olympic medley relay gold medalist

Josanne Lucas 1984–

Trinidadian 400 metres hurdler

Frank Thomas 1968–

Former MLB designated hitter and first baseman

Wesley Person 1971–

Former NBA player and college basketball coach

Child: Wesley Person Jr. (Troy University)

Sibling: Chuck Person (Auburn University)

JT Thor 2002–

Basketball player, 37th pick in the 2021 NBA draft

Coby Miller 1976–

Sprinter with sub-10 second 100m best

Bill Forrester 1957–

Swimmer and Olympic 200m butterfly bronze medalist

Kevin Greene 1962–2020

NFL linebacker with 160 career sacks

Howard Hill 1899–1975

Archer billed as the world's greatest

Eithan Urbach 1977–

Israeli backstroke swimmer and two-time Olympian

Alana Dillette 1987–

Bahamian Olympic swimmer and academic

Heath Evans 1978–

Former NFL fullback and sports analyst

Kimberly Page 1970–

Former professional wrestling personality

Also attended: Northwestern University

Will Muschamp 1971–

Football coach, former University of Florida head coach

Also attended: University of Georgia

Gianna Dior 1997–

Pornographic film actress and model

David Talley 1950–

Catholic bishop of Memphis, Tennessee

Millard Fuller 1935–2009

Co-founder of Habitat for Humanity

Also attended: The University of Alabama

Donda West 1949–2007

Educator and mother of Kanye West

Doctorate

Also attended: Virginia Union University

Child: Kanye West (American Academy of Art College)